Improvement in memorandum and account books



F. B. LEE & U. CARROLL. Memorandum and Account Books.

No. 214,303. Patented April 15, 1879.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANCIS B. LEE AND CHARLES CARROLL, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEMORANDUM AND ACCOUNT BOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,303, dated April 15, 1879 application filed April 25, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS B. LEE and CHARLES CARROLL, of the city of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Diaries and other Books; and we declare the following to be a full description of the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby all persons using diaries may find the current date at once without being subjected to the annoyance and loss of time frequently occasioned by the necessity of turning the leaves back and forth in search of the proper place, and also to provide a means whereby all persons may turn immediately to the last writing or entry in such books as are filled by Writing on each consecutive page in turn, and in which each new Writing or entry is placed directly after the preceding writin g or entry.

The essence of the invention consists in so forming the leaves of the books that a portion of each leaf may be easily and expeditiously removed when it becomes necessary to turn the same in its regular order in the process of using or filling up the book, thus enabling any one to discriminate in a moment between that part of the book (or diary) which has been used and that which has not, each leaf of the former part being easily distinguished by the absence of the removed portion.

We deem it best to remove one corner of each leaf, the corner being detached when the leaf is turned in regular order in filling up or using the book, and we prefer the outer lower corner, as in the drawings herewith filed.

We shall describe the inventiononly as applied to the lower outer corner, as, from that description, it is easy to see how it may be applied to the upper outer corner, or to some other part of the leaf.

It is evident that our purpose would be accomplished if the lower outer corner of each leaf were to be torn or cut off as the leaf is filled or used in its regular order. The proper appliances, however, for cutting are not always at hand, and it is difficult, if a leaf be shaped as is usual, to tear off the corner neatly or quickly, or in such a manner as to have the edges of the removed corners even after the removal. This will be seen from the annexed drawings.

Let Figure 1 be the leaf of a book, a b c being the corner to be torn off. If the corner be folded down, so as to make a crease in the leaf along the line a b, it is clear that while there can be no trouble in tearing off the larger portion of the corner (say the part marked f e 'd c g) it will be very troublesome to detach the parts a gfand d e b either neatly or quickly, there not being sufficient paper to give a good hold. If, now, along the line a b two slits be cut, separating the paper where it is convenient to tear it ofl'say, from a to f and from c to b, as shown in Fig. 2the corner may be easily folded down and torn off neatly and quickly.

By making slits in all the leaves of the book, and having them one directly under the other, the corners may be detached, so as to have the torn edges even after the removal of the corners. lhe simple slits a f and e b, however, do not fully accomplish our purpose, for the sharp corners g a f and d b e would bend, turn up, and dog-ear, interfering seriously with the convenience of usin g the book, and becoming a source of annoyance. To obviate this we make two other slits, f g and e d, Fig. 3, meeting the first two at f and e, and cutting out the parts a f g and b e d, leaving the leaf as shown in Fig. 4.

Thus it is seen that we render it easy and convenient to tear off the lower corner of the leaf neatly, quickly, and accurately by making two small notches, recesses, or openings-one on the lower and the otheron the outer edge of the leaf. These form the corner of the leaf into a sort of nib or projection, the removal of which gives the leaf an entirely changed appearance, enabling any one at a glance to discriminate between the leaves from which the nib has been removed and those to which it still remains attached. It is very easy to fold down and tear off the nib, the fold running across the nib, and joining the apexes or inner points of the notches or openings. By tearing off the nib of each leaf in turn as it is used or filled, it is easy to distinguish the used part of the book from the portion which has not been used by the absence of the nibs or projections from the leaves of the former.

In the annexed drawings, Fig. 4 shows a leaf before the corner is taken off, a f g and b e at being the openings or recesses, and f g c d e the nib or projection. Fig. 5 shows the nib folded down to be torn off. Fig. 6 shows the leaf after the nib has been removed. Fig. 7 shows the invention applied to a diary, the corners of the leaves being removed, so that the book may be opened at once for the week commencing Monday, April 1, 1878.

\Ve think it best to have afin line with I) e, to have f g and e (1 parallel, to have the angles afg and d e I) both right angles, and to have the notches wedge-shaped, as shown; but these are not material, and all or any of them maybe changed to suit different tastes or fancies. What we believe to be new and useful are the notches, recesses, or openings n f g and d e b, which make the nib or projection fg c d e, and enable it to be folded down and torn otf evenly, neatly, and expeditiously, whenever desired.

\Ve are aware that the act or process of removing a part of each leaf of a book as it is filled up or used, such removal being for the purpose of distinguishing between the used and the unused portion of the book, has been for many years and is now in use.

\Ve are also aware that various devices are in use to facilitate such removal, among hich is that covered by Letters Patent No. 1 9,828 of the United States, issued to Robert Mott and Charles Carroll, and dated November 9, 1875. Our invention, therefore, has no reference to the old and well-known act of removing a part of each leaf for the purpose stated, but simply to the modification or alteration of the book or its leaves, which we make for the purpose of facilitating such removal.

We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A book with leaves provided with the recesses, notches, or openings a f g and b e d, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and described.

2. The nib or projection f g c d 6, formed on the corner of the leaves of a book, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a diary or book the leaves of which are provided with notches or openings, as described, forming nibs or projections at the corners of the leaves, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbet'ore set forth.

FRANCIS B. LEE. CHARLES CARROLL.

'itnesses J. CARROLL PAYNE, W. S. FINNEY. 

